AUGUSTA (AP) – Republican David Emery, who announced last month he is exploring a possible gubernatorial bid, is indeed at the exploratory stage.

He has asked the state ethics commission “what act triggers a candidacy for regulatory purposes” and how he might begin to organize a campaign while preserving his option to seek public financing.

“A campaign for governor is a large and complex enterprise that differs in many significant respects from a campaign for state representative or state senator,” Emery wrote to the commission in a letter this week.

“Among the more obvious differences are the much greater cost, duration, complexity and structure, as well as the nature of the personal commitment of the candidate and his family.

“For these reasons, it is necessary to conduct some pre-campaign activities in order to evaluate statewide support and to determine if a campaign for governor is a realistic and viable endeavor,” Emery wrote.

Emery, whose political career began in the Maine Legislature, served in the U.S. House from 1975 to 1982 and ran for the U.S. Senate seats in 1982 but was defeated by the incumbent Democrat, George Mitchell.

Emery subsequently served in the Reagan administration as deputy director of the U.S. Arms and Disarmament Agency and in 1990 lost a race for the 1st District congressional seat to Democrat Thomas Andrews.

To date he is one of three potential challengers to Democratic Gov. John Baldacci that have expressed an interest in entering the race for the Blaine House. Baldacci, first elected governor in 2002, has said he will run for a second term.

Nancy Oden of Jonesboro, who worked for independent Ralph Nader’s presidential campaign in Maine last year, filed paperwork with state officials in March to start the process toward becoming a publicly financed candidate for governor. Oden filed as an unenrolled candidate.

Also filing for public funding was Stephen Stimpson of Bangor, a Republican, according to the commission.

This week, in a series of questions to the ethics commission, Emery asked if a political action committee “for exploratory purposes” would be allowable “prior to filing as a clean’ candidate for governor.”

Further, he asked, “Are there contribution and/or expenditure limitations that would apply to such a committee in anticipation of a possible traditional’ candidacy for governor?”

Emery, a consultant from St. George, suggested that an exploratory PAC would raise and spend money for polling and mailings, as well as staff and campaign overhead costs.

Introducing his series of questions, Emery wrote that “an important part of the decision-making process is to thoroughly understand and evaluate the campaign financing options available to me under Maine law.”

Addressing another issue, Emery asked about what restrictions, if any, would apply if he chose to use a personal business as a campaign vendor.

“Naturally, I have great faith in the expertise my businesses have developed over the years and want to contract with one or the other of these businesses for may campaign polling and analysis. My intention would be for the businesses to charge my campaign committee at the same rates they charge other clients for these services,” he wrote.

Other Emery questions covered rules on reimbursement for a candidate’s personal expenses.

Emery said he would be available to discuss the various issues he raised at a commission meeting scheduled next week.

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